Chapter 421: Free lesson!
"What are you talking about!" Shi Yuzhu said very unhappy, "You are the backbone of the project and the producer, how can you say such depressing words."
The war hasn't started yet, The general in charge of the army has given up, so why fight?
"Isn't it just a "Warring States"?" Shi Yuzhu scolded, "What is there to be afraid of? Will our "Zhengtu" lose?"
Lin Haixiao realized that he had lost his temper. He apologized quickly: "I'm sorry, Mr. Shi. I was a little too anxious."
"But this "Warring States" is indeed our strong rival, and it is testing with us, which can easily steal the limelight of our game."
"Zhengtu" also plans to launch the ultimate content on December 1 If there are no problems, it will be officially launched for public testing in March to April.
Now "Warring States" suddenly came out and was also undergoing technical internal testing on December 1st, so they collided directly.
"It's just a technical internal test." Shi Yuzhu was very calm, "This is their first external test."
Lin Haixiao thought for a while and gave a definite answer. , "This is the first time. I only heard that they were developing an online game before, but I didn't expect that it would be launched for testing so soon."
"Then what are you afraid of? It's just their first test, and there may be several more tests." Shi Yuzhu said disdainfully, "Even if it goes well, it will have to wait until the second half of next year."
" If there are bugs, the progress will be even slower. By the time they fix the bugs, our "Zhengtu" will have already captured the market."
Shi Yuzhu is deeply involved in the game development of "Zhengtu", so naturally he is not the kind of person who does nothing. A boss who understands.
Before online games are officially launched, they will conduct several tests, such as stress tests, closed tests, internal tests, etc.
Stress testing is to test the server pressure. This is a purely technical test. It is usually conducted within the company by writing a few script programs or finding some game guilds to cooperate.
The main content is to create thousands of accounts, and perform character creation, novice process tasks, transactions, battles and other behaviors together to test the load-bearing pressure on the server.
Closed testing is a small-scale test for the outside world. Some players are invited to enter the game by issuing invitation codes or activation codes.
Mainly test whether there are BUGs in the game, player feedback on various gameplay systems, whether there are design loopholes, preliminary economic system, and combat system feedback.
The internal test is similar to the closed test, but more players are invited and more open game content is available.
In addition to feedback on bugs, gameplay, numerical values, etc., the main thing is to look at various data of the game.
Unlike active feedback from players, data can reflect the more realistic situation of the game.
Experienced operations and R&D can identify game problems from various data and then provide suggestions for modifications.
After the modification is completed, a round of internal testing will be started again to continue looking at data issues.
If there is no problem with the data, then you can prepare to go online step by step.
If the data does not work, continue to modify it and then test it again.
It's good if it can be corrected, but if it can't be corrected, the project is almost useless.
After all, the patience and resources of operators and bosses are limited, and they cannot invest unlimited resources in a game project.
You will often see a certain game tested over and over again, and then there is no news about it.
It is normal for games to die during the development stage. To be conservative, 70% of projects die during development. Those that can be put online for testing are already considered viable projects.
That's why Shi Yuzhu is very optimistic. It's just the first round of testing. According to normal estimates, it will take three or four tests. The progress is far behind "Journey"
"Zhengtu" also underwent two tests, which took a total of eight months.
Why is "Zhengtu" only tested twice?
That's because the research and development team of "Zhengtu" were all recruited from Shanda's "Age of Heroes" project team, and they already have very rich experience.
The development of "Age of Heroes" began in 2002, and the first closed beta was conducted in February 2004.
At that time, Lin Haixiao was full of confidence in this project, and the test feedback performance was also very good, and it was expected to replace Shanda's mainstay of attracting money, "Legend of Blood".
But later Shanda put its focus on 3D games and did not pay attention to "Age of Heroes". As a result, conflicts broke out between the production team and the company, and they were later poached by Shi Yuzhu.
Shi Yuzhu invested heavily in this game, spending 40 million to recruit the entire R&D team.
The reason why the "Zhengtu" game was able to start testing and launch within one year is inseparable from the foundation laid by the development team in the "Age of Heroes" development experience.
"But the producer of "Warring States OL" is Qin Shaoyan." Lin Haixiao said with some anxiety, "This online game is quite outstanding in terms of quality. The engine technology and game graphics far exceed the 3D 3D games on the market. Game."
"What about Qin Shaoyan?" Shi Yuzhu said disdainfully, "I know this person is highly praised in the industry."
"To say he is China's number one game producer, I don't think it's a big deal."
"You can't say that." Lin Haixiao frowned, "European and American game producers recognize him very much."
“It’s hard to live up to the reputation No matter how good he is in stand-alone design, this is an online game!" Shi Yuzhu emphasized, "Online games and stand-alone games are two different things. Does it mean that if he is good at stand-alone games, he will be good at online games?"
Hearing this, Lin Hai said Xiao felt a little calmer.
It was Qin Shaoyan's fame that put too much pressure on him, which made him a little confused.
China's game industry started late and lags behind Europe and the United States in terms of technology, funding and overall design level.
Qin Shaoyan single-handedly defeated many major European and American game companies. Many famous game producers recognized Qin Shaoyan's game production capabilities.
This kind of talent is rare in Europe and the United States, and it would be a dimensionality reduction attack in the domestic game circle.
When encountering such an opponent, Lin Haixiao was immediately confused psychologically.
"But his 3D engine..." Lin Haixiao said hesitantly, "It looks very powerful."
"They are 3D, we are 2D, I know that." Shi Yuzhu said impatiently, "We are facing different user groups, and there may not necessarily be competition."
"The players we want to attract It’s those legendary old users who are used to 2D graphics.”
“You also said before that 3D technology is not yet mature. Didn’t Warring States use a lot of new technologies? Who knows what kind of bugs may arise? Our technology is more mature and stable, and the 2D graphics are still more beautiful than 3D.”
“We can change the way we promote it. , it’s called China’s last 2D online game!”
Lin Haixiao nodded, agreeing with Shi Yuzhu’s statement.
Just as he was about to say goodbye and leave, he was suddenly stopped by Shi Yuzhu, "Wait a minute, let's postpone the internal beta of "Zhengtu" until the end of December."
Lin Haixiao looked at it with a look of astonishment. Written by Shi Yuzhu.
Shi Yuzhu said expressionlessly: "Let's take a look at the quality of "Warring States" first. Know yourself and know your enemy. When the time comes, you can learn from it if you find any good designs in it."
"Oh, okay." Lin Haixiao agreed quickly and turned around and left the office.
Shi Yuzhu said it in an understatement, but Lin Haixiao knew that the boss still felt guilty and chose to wait and see before deciding on his next move.
Lin Haixiao actually had no idea. His opponents were also targeting the legendary player group, and they were using 3D engines.
3D games are the future, this is the consensus of the game industry.
Lin Haixiao himself knows very well that 2D games are about to be eliminated.
The main conflict with Shanda was over 3D and 2D. The management believed that the graphics of "Age of Heroes" were outdated and the focus should be on 3D games.
But Lin Haixiao and the R&D team have invested too much in this game. They are reluctant to let this game be buried like this. They feel that there is still a market for 2D games.
From the establishment of the project in 2002 to the online testing in 2004, over two years, this game condensed their hard work and countless efforts.
Later he left Shanda and was recruited by Shi Yuzhu, and "The Age of Heroes" was reborn in another way.
Now that the 3D "Warring States" has come out, Lin Haixiao has a hint of gloom in his heart. But he quickly cheered up again. No matter what, you won't know the result until you play.
We may not lose.
At this time, Shi Yuzhu in the office was also a little irritable.
The testing time of "Warring States" and "Zhengtu" collided with each other, and he keenly smelled a different smell inside.
The previous "Warring States" marketing campaign and the uproar caused by Shanda Gongkong's rhetoric gave this sudden online game a very high reputation.
In terms of cost performance, this marketing method can be called a classic case.
As a marketing master, Shi Yuzhu also has to admit that there are experts in the campus network.
He was worried about how the online game "Warring States" would really compete with "Zhengtu" and how much impact it would have on his plans.
Because he found that some gameplay designs of "Warring States" were similar to "Zhengtu".
If "Warring States" becomes popular, it will be equivalent to taking away part of the player group that has the same positioning as "Zhengtu", which will affect the revenue of "Zhengtu".
This is all real money.
As for the 3D engine or something, he doesn't really care.
Shi Yuzhu certainly knows that 3D is the future trend, and many players will prefer 3D games.
But he is a businessman first, and a game designer second.
Why Shi Yuzhu chose to recruit the team of "The Age of Heroes" was a matter of careful consideration and careful investigation.
It was precisely because they were making 2D games that Shanda didn’t take them seriously, which gave Shi Yuzhu the opportunity to take action.
If it were a 3D game, Shanda would most likely not let Shi Yuzhu take people away so easily.
The entire R&D team has more than two years of experience and accumulation in 2D games, and the technology is very mature. It is impossible for them to replace the 3D engine to recreate an online game.
Cost and time are not allowed.
No matter how much it costs to develop a 3D online game from scratch, it may take two years or even three to five years.
What Shi Yuzhu lacks is time.
The reason why he chose 2D games is because they have the lowest cost and the lowest risk, and can be modified and improved on the basis of the original game, and then directly launched online.
Shi Yuzhu stood in front of the window, looking at the busy traffic on the street outside, thinking about it for a long time, and suddenly sneered.
“What about China’s number one game producer?” Shi Yuzhu let out a long breath, “Shopping malls are not about comparing whose products are better, in the final analysis it depends on who sells them well.”
"You are still young in front of the seniors."
In terms of design, "World of Warcraft" can be said to be the best in the industry, but so what, it is not on the same track as "Zhengtu", so there is no comparison.
No matter how good the 3D graphics are, as long as I do better marketing than you, you will have no chance to turn around.
Whether it is 2D or 3D, online lobbying is a commodity after all.
Since it is a commodity, quality is not an advantage in market competition. It is the norm in the market that bad money drives out good money.
Shi Yuzhu started his business by selling his brains. His success did not rely on product quality, but on marketing.
He is a marketing master.
"I will let you experience the cruelty of the shopping mall. Just think of it as a senior giving you a free lesson."
Shi Yuzhu looked into the distance and felt that his eyes were unobstructed and the scenery was vast.
......
"As the saying goes in the Yangtze River, the waves behind push the waves in front, and the waves in front die on the beach."
"The 21st century belongs to young people."
Qin Shaoyan was in the main seat in the conference room, smiling and mobilizing his right-hand man before the war.
"Everyone, feel free to do it without any worries."
"Don't be afraid of making mistakes. Experience and lessons are also valuable wealth."
"What I want in this test is to make mistakes, mistakes The sooner it is exposed, the better, otherwise it will be delayed until it goes online. The loss will be even greater if it is exposed. "
"If there are bugs, fix them. If there are omissions, just correct them."
Qin Shaoyan glanced around kindly, sitting on his right. Zhou Yuan, general manager of the operations department, forced a smile.
Fan Xiaoqian on the left had a sullen face and couldn't say a word.
"Teacher Fan, please give me some instructions." Qin Shaoyan asked politely.
Fan Xiaoqian stopped stirring her fingers, subconsciously pulled out the bamboo board from her pocket and started playing with it. At the same time, she said expressionlessly: "This is the first test of our game. The test time is two months.”
“Normally, it takes one week for maintenance. It will be maintained once and will be shut down immediately if there is a major problem. In principle, other minor problems will not be shut down for maintenance.”
“Every day at noon and evening, the server will display the LOGO, and everyone must check the error message and follow the instructions. The severity of the bug determines the priority of fixing it. ”
"If you find a bug that needs to be fixed immediately, you must apply to the main process. The server is only allowed to be disconnected once a day."
"By the end of December, we will try to fix the bug with hot update. Please pay attention. Every item in the bug reporting process must be checked and signed.”
“Mr. Qin, I’m done”
Fan Xiaoqian put down the bamboo board in her hand and looked at it. Qin Shaoyan.
"Don't be so serious." Qin Shaoyan comforted Fan Xiaoqian with a smile, "Teacher Fan, you are so tight, I don't feel at ease."
Fan Xiaoqian was indeed very nervous, and even forgot to speak in Tianjin dialect. He sighed, "I am the main engineer and the first person in charge. Can I not be under too much pressure?"
"It doesn't matter, just a few interruptions every day. This time is normal. Just say it’s a network fluctuation. Just compensate the players,” Qin Shaoyan said lightly, “Testing. It's normal for the game to be tested to have bugs. As long as there are no bugs such as packet brushing for props, it doesn't matter if the server crashes."
"When the test is over, I will hold a rock concert for Teacher Fan and we will go to Wu. A pine.”
Fan Xiaoqian barely smiled.
The door of the conference room was quietly pushed open, and Zhang Pingyi walked in with a smile.
"Good news." Zhang Pingyi walked to Qin Shaoyan and stopped, "The test of "Zhengtu" has been postponed to the end of December."
Qin Shaoyan laughed loudly, "He is scared! He is scared. ”
“Have you seen this, one of our competitions? The opponent is just scared, what do you have to be afraid of?"
Zhang Pingyi also added, "It is a taboo for military officers to be timid before fighting."
"Everyone!" Qin Shaoyan said directly. He stood up and said, "Let us give our colleagues a free lesson!"
(End of this chapter)